Updated: 31 January 1998, 18:30 GMT
Updated: 31 January 1998, 18:30 GMT |
All the information is (c) 1998 M-WEB and/or Reuters |
The launch of the 1998 Formula One cars, only on Auto Race Net
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FIA could introduce airbags for F1 cars
© M-WEB
18:30 GMT
Location : ROME
According to top officials, the FIA could be about to introduce airbags for cars competing in the world championships.
Gabriele Cadringher, technical chief of the International Automobile Federation, said the idea was being studied by the FIA. He said that it would have to be something a lot more sophisticated than that used in mass produced cars; because they can't have them going off unexpectedly.
The comment from Cadringher came in a review of the safety features of ordinary cars which originally came from motor racing which was published in the latest edition of the Italian automobile club (ACI) magazine.
Ferrari at Mugello
© M-WEB
18:30 GMT
Location : SCARPERIA, Italy
The new Ferrari F300 that was tested at Mugello today by Michael Schumacher, spent most of the day in the pits, according to reports.
The German completed one lap of the Mugello racing circuit late morning before driving back to the pits for nearly two hours. He then completed another three and a half laps before returning the car to its engineers.
The checks and controls on the F300 were expected to last for the rest of the afternoon. The Ferrari team have booked the Tuscan circuit until February 8.
The F300 has been born with a number of teething problems which technical chief Ross Brawn has to overcome by the time the season opens in Melbourne on the 8th of March.
Their three immediate concerns for the Ferrari team are to deal with a problem of over-heating at the rear of the car, software problems connected to the new gearbox and a try-out of the new 1998 regulation tyres.
Mansell finishes third in opening heat
©REUTERS
18:30 GMT
Location : CHAMONIX, France
Nigel Mansell bounced back from his qualifying disappointment to finish third in Saturday's opening heat of the Chamonix 24 Hours ice race.
Mansell had spun out of the morning's qualifying session after suffering a gearbox problem and, following frantic repairs to his Ford Escort, team mate Ari Vatanen took up sixth place on the grid with only minutes to spare.
Vatanen was able to avoid an incident at the opening corner which saw the car of Philippe Gache and Jean-Marc Gounon crash into the barriers and he stayed in a comfortable fifth position until the mandatory pit-stops on lap 20.
Swift work by the France Ford team saw Mansell emerge in third place and he drove well in tricky conditions to take the chequered flag behind the Nissan Micra of Stephane Peterhansel and Bertrand Ballas and the Renault Megane of Jean Ragnotti and Christophe Vaison.
"Ari put in a fantastic first stint and it was a great changeover in the pits," said a delighted Mansell. "Even just finishing, I feel like I have won. "I have never been so sideways, backwards and been sliding all over the place as I have today. "The team did a great job in changing the gearbox and getting the car back out just five minutes before the start."
Vatanen, a former rally world champion, said: "Considering we had no practice and no testing, it is a fantastic result."
Frenchmen Yvan Muller and Danny Snobeck won the second heat for Opel, ahead of Nissan's Jean-Pierre Malcher and Francois Chauche, and Opel's James Ruffier and Markku Alen.
Mansell spins out of Chamonix qualifying
©REUTERS
18:30 GMT
Location : CHAMONIX, France
Nigel Mansell's hopes of getting his Chamonix 24 Hours weekend off to a good start suffered an early blow on Saturday when he spun out of qualifying with a gearbox problem.
The former world champion completed only one lap of the 1.3-km ice circuit before he spun into the snow barriers at the first hairpin.
The Briton was unable to select a gear and was forced to walk back to the pits after abandoning his Ford Escort. "It was a gearbox problem," he explained. "From what I understand, with the amount of wheelspin these cars generate it is quite normal for the gearboxes to explode. "I am disappointed to have only completed one lap because the car felt much better than before."
A spokesman for the Ford France team confirmed that the gearbox would be repaired before the opening heats of the afternoon.
Luckily for Mansell, his Finnish team mate Ari Vatanen had gone quickly enough in his qualifying session to set the 11th best time overall.
His lap of one minute 2.76 seconds was much slower than the pole position time of Frenchmen Jean-Louis Schlesser and Marcel Tarres, which was 59.23 seconds.
"That was not too bad," said Vatanen, the former rally world champion. "I had to lean on the barriers quite a bit but that is the only way to go fast on ice."
Nakano joins Minardi F1 team
©REUTERS
11:30 GMT
Location: ROME, Jan 30
Japan's Shinji Nakano will drive for Minardi this season, the Italian Formula One team said on Friday.
The 26-year-old, who drove for the Prost stable last year, will team up with Argentine driver Esteban Tuero, who signed in December.
Nakano will test drive in Barcelona next week in preparation for the opening Grand Prix of the season in Melbourne, Australia, on March 8, Minardi said in a statement.
His best result last season was sixth, twice, in the Canadian and Hungarian Grands Prix.
Schumacher's voice helps end fan's coma
©REUTERS
11:30 GMT
Location: MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO, Italy, Jan 30
A recording of the voice of Michael Schumacher has helped a devoted Italian fan emerge from a coma.
But Schumacher was reluctant to claim credit on Friday, saying: "In general terms it helped the parents. It gave them a sense of hope during a difficult time, so it was a good thing."
Schumacher had sent a taped message to the parents of the 24-year-old man, identified only as Sandro. He had lapsed into a coma after a car crash in March last year.
After several weeks of repeated playing, Sandro emerged from the coma.
Last year Schumacher was stripped of his second place in the world championship after ramming into the car of title rival Jacques Villeneuve in the final Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, Schumacher suffered a less serious blow on Friday when Briton Eddie Irvine scored a rare victory over his Ferrari teammate.
The Formula One drivers, relaxing in the Italian Dolomites before the start of the Grand Prix season, raced 20 laps in go-karts round a frozen lake in front of 5,000 fans.
Irvine won and Schumacher had to settle for second.
The team has been in Madonna di Campiglio for several days. Irvine has tried his hand at snowboarding and Schumacher has test-driven a snowmobile.
They switch from ice to tarmac on Saturday when they team goes to the Mugello race track to test the new Ferrari F300 car in preparation for the first Grand Prix of the season in Australia on March 8.
Warsteiner joins West McLaren Mercedes team
© M-WEB
07:30 GMT
Germany's biggest beer brand, Warsteiner, joined the West McLaren Mercedes Formula One team as a partner.
Warsteiner, having enjoyed a long-term relationship with Mercedes, is looking forward to carry on this commitment as a partner of the West McLaren Mercedes team. The 1998 season will see Warsteiner return to Formula One with branding on the overalls of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard as well as the new MP 4/13 car.
Warsteiner is also keen to support the McLaren Mercedes Driver Support Programme, and will therefor also be involved in the newly formed Formula 3000 team.
Warsteiner Marketing Director, Christoph Nieder said that for them it is not enough to just increase brand awareness through general advertising, but that they are more interested in presenting Warsteiner in a context which lives up to the brand image. He said that teamwork is the central concept of their company's philosophy, and nothing expresses this better than supporting young drivers on their way to top performances. He added that Warsteiner is delighted to be involved in this initiative to find and develop new talent.
Managing Director of the TAG McLaren Group, Ron Dennis said that they are pleased to announce this new Partnership. He said that McLaren and Mercedes have been involved in a number of young driver initiatives such as the McLaren Autosport Awards and the Mercedes junior teams. He added that they welcome Warsteiner's support of their Driver Support Programme, as well as their return to Formula One with the West McLaren Mercedes team.
Warsteiner will not only be involved with the West McLaren Mercedes team, but will as they did the last season, be represented on the Formula One circuit with track banners at various races.
Formula One generates worldwide interest, providing an excellent platform for the Warsteiner Brewery to internationalize and extend their commitments beyond the German borders. Warsteiner is said to be keen to optimise their association with Mercedes for the intended globalization of their brands.
According to reports, Warsteiner are looking forward to their return to Formula One, after causing a sensation in the late seventies when they were the first German brewery involved in Formula One.
Prost not in Barcelona next week
© M-WEB
07:00 GMT
According to reports, the Prost Formula One team would have tested their new AP01 chassis at Barcelona next week, but the team decided to stay at their home track, Magny Cours.
Newly appointed Prost Technical Director, Bernard Dudot said that considering the amount of work they have in progress, it will be more convenient for the team to continue testing at the Magny-Cours track.
Benetton's test report
© M-WEB
07:00 GMT
Location : Barcelona
After the kaunch of the Benetton B198 last week, the team trvelled to the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona to begin a week-long test programme, starting Tuesday 20 January, at the circuit.
It was the B198's first run on Bridgestone tyres and the impressions of the new car have been very pleasing from both the drivers and the team with consistent results being achieved. The team also concentrated on chassis set-up work and driver comfort and achieved positive results in both these areas as well.
On Thursday (29 January) afternoon, a minor accident for Alexander Wurz brought the day's testing to an early conclusion. As a result of this accident, only one car ran on Friday.
Wurz said on Friday afternoon that he have had a very positive test so far and both the team and himself have learned a lot.He added that he is feeling confident and are looking forward to resuming their test programme next month.
Wurz commented on the teams new technical director by saying that the Bridgestone partnership brings with it a completely different working style and there is so much to learn, but that he is enjoying it very much.
Giancarlo Fisichella said at the end of his testing on Thursday that the test has consolidated the positive impressions he had had during the first run in Jerez. He said that he is excited about the car and the tyres, and look forward to the next test, here in Barcelona. Fisichella added that they have a solid base to work on.
The best lap times for the two drivers were:
Driver |
Best lap time |
Day achieved |
Giancarlo Fisichella |
1:24:70s |
Tuesday |
Alexander Wurz |
1:24:24s |
Thursday |
The Benetton team will complete their test programme for this week on Saturday before returning to the UK.
The team's winter test programme will resume on February 1st in Barcelona again.
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